Mystery Disease Kills Thousands
Gay Marriage Vote Puts Heat On Christie
Those waiting for the Rays to come back to the pack and have their magical carpet ride end may still get their wish ... but it'll wait until October to come true. It's official today as the Tampa Bay Rays, a 150-1 shot to win the World Series back before the season started, have officially clinched a playoff spot with their 7-2 win over the Twins on Saturday.
What's eternally impressive about this year's Rays, especially considering this is a franchise who never rose above 70 wins in their history, is that every time this year's version faced questions about their ability to stay in the hunt they've answered the bell. In their last two series against the A.L. East's yardstick Boston Red Sox, they lost the first game of each series. Lesser teams would have taken that opportunity to be satisfied with what they had done so far this season and taken their toys and gone home. The young Rays, however, won each of the final two games of each series. (They're 10-8 against the Sox this season despite a run differential of -20.) There had been countless other "tests" the Rays have had, and they've passed them all.
The latest test has Tampa aiming for the division title rather than the wild card, which would probably mean hosting a first round series against Chicago rather than going on the road to face Anaheim. Seemingly, this is huge since despite sparse crowds at the Trop, the Rays are a ridiculous 56-23 there. The Rays are 6-3 against the Angels this season, but they've only faced ace John Lackey once and lost to him in Anaheim. So while the Rays could be extremely proud of what they've done, don't expect them to be satisfied this final week, where they're on the road to face Baltimore and Detroit while the Red Sox are at home against the Indians and Yankees.
Now the only question is this: Will Rays fans start showing up in October? It would be a shame to have to give away Cliff Floyd bobbleheads to sell the joint out.
Pressure Mounts On Mortgage Giants To Pursue Principal Reductions
Washington Gay Marriage Legislation Signed Into Law By Governor Chris Gregoire
House GOP Offers Deal In Big Fight
Officials Confirm: Prescription Drugs Found In Whitney Houston's Room
U.S. Green-Lights Google's Massive $12.5 Billion Purchase
Syrian Rebels Fight Off Attack On Key Town
Obama Budget Signals Shift From Austerity Measures To Campaign Promises
How Long Will Santorum's Surge Last?
When Will The New iPad Be Announced?
Wall Street Fears Volcker Rule Will Force Testosterone Monitoring
Afghanistan Base Named 'Aryan' Raises Objections From Soldiers
WATCH: CPAC's 'Best In Show'
WATCH: Fox News Pundit's Disturbing Comments About Rape
Apple Announces Investigation Of Foxconn Factories
Obama's Birth Control Rule Will Hurt Homeless Veterans, Warns GOP Congressman
WATCH: 25 Million Tons Of Japan Tsunami Debris Headed Directly Our Way
GOP Candidates Out Of Step With Catholic Church On Unemployment
Topless Protesters Target 'Gas Gangsters'
Supreme Court Justice Robbed
It's Only Getting Worse: Economists' Latest Dire Prediction
Huff TV: WATCH: Arianna Weighs In On Tony Bennett's Call To Legalize Drugs
WATCH: Anderson Cooper's Hilarious Adventures With Adele
WATCH: Bill Maher Rips GOP Concept Of 'Elites'
